Tool holder



R ROCCHI May 31, 1938.

TOOL HOLDER Filed Feb. 25, 1936 INVENTOR PO/WPEO/POC 1 4 l I 0 NEY Patented May 31, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to tool holders.

In the automotive, and. other industry fields, it is necessary for, workmen to have a plurality of similar tools, of different sizes, such as the type of wrenches characterized by a thin shank and an enlarged head at each end of the shank, as for instance the well known Blue-Point wrenches used in the automotive field.

One object of the invention, is to provide an easily constructed, simple and enduring form of tool holder which will hold a setof wrenches so that the shank is vertical and which is provided with a plurality of slots to receive wrenches of varying sizes and to hold them in position so 15,

that they are easy of selection for use in the shop.

A further object of the invention is to provide a holder of such nature that the retaining fingers are not bent and distorted due to rough usage in the shop and to that end to provide a retaining device formed of a single bent piece of metal which will engage over the retaining fingers and perform the dual function of holding the wrenches in the desired order and at the same time of preventing the distortion of the retaining fingers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the retaining body member for receiving the wrenches may be easily held in horizontal position on the floor of the work shop or on a bench, or which may be held in that position by suspending the same from a projecting member, or which may be held so that the wrenches are in vertical position by suspending the device from a suspending member carried by a vertical surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, automatic locking device for holding a securing member to a body member and one which may be operated by simple pressure of one finger of the workman, and which will automatically lock when the securing member is applied to the body or holding member of the device.

In devices of this character it is important that the construction be sufficiently simple as to be produced at a low cost, and to that end one of the objects of the invention is to provide a holding member for tools which comprises a single strip of stamped metal having recesses formed in one edge thereof to leave fingers lying in the same plane and in combination therewith a retaining element pivoted thereto and formed of a single piece of metal of inverted V-shaped crosssection to embrace the free ends of the fingers,

and in combination with these two elements a simple, durable locking .device.

The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein illustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, is illustrated a form of embodiment of the invention, in which drawing similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, and in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing in dotted lines the retaining element in open position;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section; and,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, taken ap-,. proximately centrally of the device.

While the tools A illustrated in the drawing are wrenches, it should be understood that other tools having reduced shanks and enlarged heads may be used with the construction illustrated, described and claimed herein, and that variations of form within the scope of the claims hereof, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention involved.

Referring to the drawing, 4 designates a single piece of stamped metal, to one end of which is welded on, formed integrally with or otherwise secured to, a transverse flange or wall 5. The object of this wall 5 is to maintain the device in horizontal position when laid on the floor of a workshop or on the upper surface of a work bench, to prevent the device from being rocked. The wall 5 is provided with a vertical key hole slot 6 which may be disposed over a horizontally arranged projecting supporting member such as a screw or nail, by means of which the device may be maintained in a horizontal position suspended above a floor or work bench. The key hole slot 6 is disposed adjacent one end of the wall 5 and at a point adjacent the opposite end of the wall 5 it is provided with a second key hole slot 1 adapted to engage over a projecting supporting member and to hold the device in any position Where tools are held in a vertical position.

One edge of the metal strip 4, (its upper edge when the strip is in a vertical position) is provided with a plurality of recesses 8 of varying widths and depths corresponding to the number of tools (such as the wrenches A), which it is desired to have in any particular set. The recesses 8 are preferably stamped out so as to leave retaining fingers 9 of lengths corresponding tothe recesses, and these fingers 9 serve to retain the tools in position, as shown by the drawing.

In order to retain the tools in the recesses 8 between the fingers 9, and to prevent distortion of the fingers 9 from the rough usage in the shop, a retaining element [0, formed of a single piece of metal of inverted V-shaped cross-section so that its dependent flanges may engage the upper ends of the fingers 9 on both sides, is pivoted to one end of the strip 4 by means of a rivet II. When in closed position, as shown in full lines in Figure 1, the tools A are held in position for use and they may be easily removed when the retaining member ID is swung to the dotted line position shown in that figure.

Adjacent its free end the retaining member II] is provided on its upper or folded edge with a slot [2 through which projects the body portion 13 of a latch, which by means of a rivet l4 passing through the side walls of the retaining member ID is permitted a rocking movement, and is maintained in one position by means of a simple bent spring l5 (Figure 3), so that when the retaining member 10 is in closed position it is locked against accidental opening.

To facilitate the locking of the latch it is provided with a curved lower face [6 and adjacent thereto is provided with an upper lip I1, adapted to engage under a lip l8 formed at the free end of the body 4. To co-operate with the curved surface [6 of the latch and to permit its easy riding over the end of the body 4, the latter is provided at its end with a curved surface 19, and to insure the locking of the lip I! of the latch under the lip 18 of the body, the body 4 is provided with a lower curved surface 20 in a reverse curve to the upper curved surface l9. By reason of the relation of these curved surfaces on the body 4 and the latch, the device will automatically lock itself even if the spring l5 becomes weakened by the hard usage to which such devices are subjected.

It is believed that the operation and advantages of the device are apparent from an inspection of the drawing, without further description of the operation and advantages of the device.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A tool holder comprising a body having tool receiving means, a tool retaining element of inverted V-shaped cross-section and folded contour pivoted to the body at one end and having a slot adjacent its free end and a latch disposed between the folds of the retaining element and pivoted thereto, the end of the body and the edge of the latch being provided with co-operating surfaces to guide the latch into locked position with the body and to lock the parts together.

2. A tool holder comprising a body having tool receiving means, a tool retaining element of inverted V-shaped cross-section and folded contour pivoted to the body at one end and having a slot adjacent its free end, a latch disposed between the folds of the retaining element and pivoted thereto, the end of the body and the edge of the latch being provided with co-operating surfaces to guide the latch into locked position with the body and to lock the parts together and a spring element carried by the retaining element and arranged to maintain the latch in locked position.

3. A tool holder comprising a body having a series of slots at one edge of graduated width and. depth to leave retaining fingers, a single piece retaining element of inverted V-shaped crosssection having one end pivoted to the body to permit its walls to embrace both sides of the ends of the fingers and a spring pressed latch disposed at the free end of the retaining element, the body and the latch being provided with co-operating guiding surfaces and interlocking lip.

POMPEO ROCCHI. 

